Study
by rese
Summary: or lack thereof.


**Study**

By rese

Summary: it's certainly the thing I'm not doing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the characters – pretty much anything from that 'verse. In conclusion, if I did I wouldn't be stressing about trial HSC and how HP has pretty much destroyed my ability to do original creative writing for journeys…

…

"James," she sighed, her arms crossed in their typical disapproving way. She had caught him literally red handed, holding the snitch in his gloved fingers, broom swung over his shoulder and heading down to the fields.

"It's not what you think!" he spoke quickly, unable to meet her gaze as he shifted uncomfortably on the spot.

Those eyes saw straight through him, as usual.

"Ok, so it might be. Just a little." He looked down at his black boots, all polished and ready to swing in the air. Surely, he thought with sudden hope, Lily would understand he needed to feel that?

Upon looking up he saw it was very unlikely. She had jutted one leg out and it was tapping rather impatiently as she stared down at him, the perfect picture of condemnation.

"Alright maybe a lot."

"James," Lily stressed his name, exasperation filling her voice as she launched into the lecture he supposed she must have organised the moment she found him missing. "I thought that you of all people might actually care about your education. If you want to be anything you need to do well. Skipping study to go off riding your stupid stick isn't going to help you any."

James' eyebrows rose at the mention of his 'stupid stick'. He knew Lily meant well, and that as his girlfriend she had every right to be cross with him for not turning up to study when he said he would but –

"Besides, this is our last year! If there was any time to be studying it's now! Why can't you be like Remus – he's been sitting at that desk all day, pencil to paper, eye to book - and what are you doing? Gallivanting about without a care in the world! Honestly, James I expected more of you."

"But Lily – "

"You're Head Boy and supposed to show some sort of example for everyone else. How's that going to look when you fail the N.E.W.T.s because you didn't take the time to study?"

Her arms had unfolded, taking a comical sort of dance moving from her sides in fists to her waist. James watched on, feeling rather patient as she hadn't raised her voice yet. Besides, it was rather difficult to argue with her when she launched off into what Sirius called "rant-mode". Her lips always turned the most delightful red.

"Merlin, you're distracting," James said breathily, all thoughts of his retort disappearing and quite forgotten when Lily's brows shot up her forehead at his chosen response. Taking a confident step forward he smiled when she took one back.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, her arms crossing once more.

"Come on Lily, you can't seriously expect me to be studious? After I've shown myself not to be for the past six years? Honestly! I – in fact anyone, would think you're just looking for a study break." James wriggled his eyebrows, laughing when her mouth dropped open at the accusation.

"It's just a suggestion. 'Sides, chasing me out here is simply adding to your already lengthy list of procrastination." He added, turning swiftly on his heels and marching onwards to the Quidditch pitch with a bounce in his step.

About fourteen and a half steps later, not that James was counting; he heard her approach from behind, breathing a little harder than normal.

"Alright, so I might have wanted to stretch my legs a bit."

She gave a small smile back at James' positively glowing face as he turned to grin madly at her over his shoulder.

"Just a bit!" she reminded him, backtracking when he decided to walk backwards to continue smiling at her. It was unnerving that she knew _exactly_ what that look meant.

"James!" she admonished even though he had yet to open his mouth. How he managed to keep his balance walking backwards down the hill was beyond her. "I don't want any part of your nonsense!" Lily threw her arms up; even now she could feel the dampness of the grass this late in the grey afternoon seep through her socks.

"It isn't 'nonsense' Lily, it's 'fun'." An odd expression crossed James' face as he tilted his head at her, "how many times have I got to tell you?"

"At least once more. And last time I fell off!"

James laughed at her, and when she turned red he laughed harder, clutching the snitch to his belly and tripping a little as the hill sloped into the flat land.

"Careful!" she warned, lifting a hand to steady his balance, her cheeks still tinted. "You'll break your neck one day and I won't be here to laugh at _you_." Lily bit her lip, trying vainly to look stern even when James stopped and became quite serious.

"Lily," his voice was low and he took a step closer to her, not helping her face to cool. "Don't say things like that."

"Don't be ridiculous!" she cried, affecting a look of disbelief that he would be offended by her joke, all the while knowing his deeper meaning. She hadn't spent the past year over-analysing him for nothing.

He didn't even say "you know what I mean," like he had a year ago, James simply leant over and took her hand, giving it a tight squeeze before walking her over to the change rooms looking out to the mountains skirted in the closing fog.

"You know _I'd_ never fall off a broom."


End file.
